Content has been reconstructed based on interviews with stakeholders and historical records,
and may include partial dramatization for better understanding.
The roots of Kia’s rise as a global mobility leader
can be traced back to Japanese colonial rule of Korea in 1944,
all born from one young man’s dream.
Kim Cheol-ho saw how heavily his country
depended on Japan for industry and technology
and knew that had to change.
Despite building a successful business in Japan,
he returned to Korea with one goal in mind—
self-reliance through homegrown innovation.
There were no bicycles, let alone cars,
being made in Korea at the time.
But Kim wasn’t deterred.
With the skills he acquired in Japan,
he founded Kyungsung Precision Industry—
the very foundation of Kia.
He risked everything,
even secretly re-entering Japan three times after the war,
just to bring back the knowledge and equipment Korea lacked.
His breakthrough?
With the successful manufacturing of the rim,
Korea’s very first domestically produced bicycle,
the 3000-liho (Samchully), was born.
In 1952, Kim renamed the company to Kia Industries,
marking the start of Korea’s journey
into the automotive era.
The name Kia means “rising from Asia,”
which perfectly encapsulated his vision
for Korea to not just make its own cars,
but one day move the world.
That dream became his driving force.
With Kia, he set out to build not just machines,
but palpable momentum powered by ambition
and belief in Korea’s future.
Kim’s journey began with a humble bicycle—
then grew to include two-wheeled motorcycles,
three-wheeled trucks, and eventually,
four-wheeled vehicles.
But these weren’t just modes of transport.
They became symbols of hope for a country
rising from the ashes of war.
The K-360, Korea’s first three-wheeler,
didn’t just move goods.
It became a driving force
behind the Korean economy
by connecting cities and rural towns
as well as industries and people.
And in 1973, Kia opened the Sohari Plant—
Korea’s first fully-integrated car assembly facility.
It wasn’t just a factory.
It marked the beginning of Korea’s foray
onto the global stage.
Giving up was never part of his vocabulary—
and neither is it part of Kia’s.
Time and again, in moments of challenge and change,
Kia chose to be bold rather than timid.
From bicycles to motorcycles, to trucks and passenger cars,
each step was fueled by a belief that
technology should make people’s lives better
and move society forward.
Today, that belief still drives everything Kia does.
With today’s cutting-edge EVs and PBVs,
Kia continues to push the boundaries of future mobility.
Kia Sohari Plant (Currently AutoLand Gwangmyeong)
